Ford Motor Company (F), headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, develops, delivers, and services a range of Ford trucks, commercial cars and vans, sport utility vehicles, and Lincoln luxury vehicles. Valued at $58.5 billion by market cap, the company also provides vehicle-related financing, leasing, and insurance.
Shares of this auto giant have outperformed the broader market over the past year. F has gained 28% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 16%. In 2026, F stock is up 11.9%, surpassing the SPX’s 8.3% rise on a YTD basis.
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Narrowing the focus, F’s underperformance is apparent compared to the First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF (FTXR). The exchange-traded fund has gained about 35.1% over the past year. Moreover, the ETF’s 16.7% returns on a YTD basis outshine the stock’s gains over the same time frame.
www.barchart.com While solid demand for flagship lines like the F-Series keeps Ford competitive in a choppy macro environment, high warranty and quality-control costs have historically squeezed profits. To fix this, Ford is using AI-powered quality control to catch manufacturing errors early under its Ford+ strategy, while leaning heavily on its high-margin Ford Pro commercial division and growing software subscriptions. With aluminum supply chain issues easing, it is expected to add $1 billion in EBIT. Ford is positioning itself to overhaul up to 80% of its vehicle lineup by unifying its tech, software, design, and manufacturing teams to boost efficiency and long-term earnings.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect F’s EPS to grow 48.6% to $1.62 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat the consensus estimate in three of the last four quarters while missing the forecast on another occasion.
Among the 23 analysts covering F stock, the consensus is a “Hold.” That’s based on seven “Strong Buy” ratings, 13 “Holds,” and three “Strong Sells.”
www.barchart.com This configuration is more bullish than a month ago, with five analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy.”
On Jul. 22, Rajat Gupta CFA from JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) maintained a “Buy” rating on F, with a price target of $16, implying a potential upside of 9% from current levels.
While F currently trades above its mean price target of $14.43, the Street-high price target of $20 suggests a 36.2% upside potential.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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